Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Foundation Help St. Charles County Police Bring Therapy Dog to Schools

The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Hospitals recently provided funding for a fully-certified therapy canine for the St. Charles County Police Department to support the community’s mental health needs.

Through this donation, the police department was given a black Labrador Retriever puppy named Millie. In addition, the donation funded all associated equipment and supplies for the dog and her handler as well as a one-week, handler training program for certification. Millie is now fully-certified as a therapy services canine with Good Citizen accreditation from the American Kennel Club.

“The St. Charles County Police Department recognizes the benefits to the community and truly values commitment from BJC HealthCare for our therapy canine, Millie,” said Kurt Frisz, chief of police.

With the help of her handler, Officer Stephen Schue, Millie's primary job is visiting students in St. Charles County area schools to positively impact the mental health of the youth in the community. Millie’s calm demeanor allows her to assist with emotional or traumatic calls for service. She also will visit patients at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West Hospital, in addition to attending community events with the St. Charles County Police Department.

“Forging such meaningful and lasting relationships leads to more effective police services. Canine Millie has already made a significant impact in our schools and associated BJC facilities, and we’re confident this impact will only continue to grow,” said Chief Frisz. “The St. Charles County Police Department is proud to be a part of this program.”

Millie’s assistance in the youth mental health space is particularly important to the Foundation at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Hospitals.

“Supporting the mental health needs of our community is extremely important for us at BJC HealthCare,” said Mark Turnipseed, director of the Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Foundation. “Society has been talking about the need for more resources for youth for some time now, and we are proud that we can offer the type of support that can be seen in action. We are excited for Millie to bring support to more of our community alongside Officer Schue and the St. Charles County Police Department.”